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DigiTimes, the Taiwan-based site that reports on the East Asia mobile phone industry, has another report out today regarding Qualcomm chips in Apple phones. According to their sources, Qualcomm is talking to Apple about its new hybrid mobile chips. However, previous rumors that the phones would be released by summer of next year may not pan out, according to this report.

Qualcomm's new hybrid chip allows phones to use the networks of CDMA/EVDO carriers - such as Verizon and Sprint in the United States - and UMTS/HSPA+ carriers including AT&T and T-Mobile. In addition, the same chip supports LTE, which is a network technology that major carriers have announced plans to implement starting next year.

The chips are not expected to make it into the summer 2010 iPhone release, as the field test process will have to continue at least that long if the chips are only entering production now. The DigiTimes report indicates that Qualcomm is, rather, looking for a deal with Apple for "future cooperation".

Qualcomm - though the largest fabless chip manufacturer in the world - is looking to regain market share since many popular smartphones use its competitors' technology: the iPhone uses Infineon chipsets, the BlackBerry uses Freescale and the Palm Pre is based on Marvell chips. Qualcomm supplies 3G chips to LG, Samsung and HTC.

The first phones using Qualcomm's hybrid chip are anticipated to go on sale in late 2010.